AuthorTopic: A quick guide to using AudioStretch (Read 245 times)

This is a guide that details how to use AudioStretch, my preferred tool to use when transcribing. There are many other tools out there to slow down and/or analyze audio, but this is the one I find most helpful and use for just about everything. You're free to use what you like of course, but I hope this will be able to help others looking to improve their transcriptions and arrangements who may not already have a go-to tool for this.

AudioStretch used to be available in browser at http://audiostretch.com/audiostretchforflash/, but that link now redirects to download links to the mobile app version. Fortunately, the tool is still available in browser, embedded in the free-to-use BandLab site.

What does it do?

I mainly use it to slow down audio. You can slow down the playback speed of an audio file and even click/drag to move it at whatever pace you like and make it "hang" on any one spot, making it easier to transcribe what pitches are present at any given moment. I also occasionally adjust the pitch by an octave to make the high/low notes easier to hear. That's about it; the tool doesn't actually produce any output for you - it just helps you listen to what's happening in the music so you can transcribe it yourself.

The app versions provide some expanded functionality, most notably a spectrum analysis of the audio file that provides a visual mapping of the relative volume of each pitch to keys on a keyboard. I generally try not to resort to using this most of the time, though, since it can result in relying too much on a technical analysis of what sound is being produced as opposed to what "sounds" right to a listener.

How do I use it?

First, create an account on BandLab. It's easy and you don't need to provide much in terms of your personal info.

Then, go to the Mix Editor. Click Import Audio/MIDI and upload the audio file for what you want. (If you're wondering how to get one from YouTube, there are tools out there you can use like ClipGrab.)

Next, right click the waveform and choose AudioStretch > More.

Now you can adjust playback speed and shift the pitch. And most importantly, you can click and hold/drag the waveform to focus on any moment in the track. That's it!